Accurate estimates of parameters and demographic rates of wildlife populations are crucial to management and conservation. One parameter of interest is age because it influences multiple demographic rates and behaviors including reproduction, dispersal, migration, and disease transmission. There are a number of methods used to estimate ages of wildlife. One of the most common methods used for mammals is evaluation of patterns in dental eruption and tooth wear. In the first chapter, we evaluate the accuracy associated with estimates of age from dental eruption and patterns of tooth wear for mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus). In the second chapter, we use age estimates validated within the first chapter to explore how age and other maternal factors may influence number of offspring born per litter in mule deer. We further test relative support for two common hypotheses--terminal investment and reproductive restraint--regarding the relationship between age and reproductive investment in this species. Our results will inform conservation, management, and research efforts associated with mule deer.

Meeresmüll ist ein Problem, das viele verschiedene Meeresarten betrifft, von Säugetieren bis hin zu Wirbellosen. Sie kann mehrere zerstörerische Auswirkungen auf marine Ökosysteme haben und tritt weltweit auf. Das Ziel meiner Forschung in Kerteminde, Dänemark, war es, mögliche physiologische und strukturelle Auswirkungen von marinem Plastikmüll (= Makroplastik) auf Aggregate der Miesmuschelart Mytilus spp. zu verstehen. Es ist bei diesen Tieren üblich, Aggregate in Gezeiten- und flachen subtidalen Lebensräumen zu bilden. Sie bieten verschiedene Ökosystemleistungen, wie die Stabilisierung der Küstenlinie oder die Bereitstellung von Lebensraum für andere Arten. Miesmuscheln sind Filtrierer und tragen so zur biologischen Sanierung bei, die eine wichtige Fähigkeit zur Entfernung von Abfällen aus marinen Ökosystemen darstellt. Angesichts der Ökosystemleistungen, die Muschelaggregate erbringen, ist es entscheidend, alle Faktoren zu verstehen, die dieser Struktur schaden könnten. Mein Fokus lag auf den Auswirkungen von starren und weichen Makroplastikfolien, also Flaschen und Beuteln, da sie weltweit verbreiteten Meeresmüll darstellen. Ich fand heraus, dass Makroplastik tatsächlich die Struktur von Miesmuschelaggregaten beeinflusst. Mein Projekt war Teil einer globalen Studie, organisiert vom GEOMAR Kiel, bei der Masterstudenten aus sechs Ländern die gleichen Experimente durchführten, um makroplastische Effekte auf globaler Ebene zu vergleichen. Ich danke dem GAME-Programm am GEOMAR Kiel für die Finanzierung meiner Forschung sowie Dr. Mark Lenz für die Organisation des Projekts. Außerdem möchte ich dem Meeresbiologischen Forschungszentrum in Kerteminde für die Aufnahme während meiner Forschung danken. / Marine litter is a problem that effects a lot of different marine species, from mammals to invertebrates. It can have several destructing effects on marine ecosystems and is occurring on a global scale. The aim of my research in Kerteminde, Denmark, was to understand potential physiological and structural effects of marine plastic debris (= macroplastic) on aggregates of the blue mussel species Mytilus spp. It is common among these animals to build aggregates in intertidal and shallow subtidal habitats. They provide several ecosystem services, like stabilizing the shoreline or providing habitat for other species. Blue mussels are filter-feeders and so contributing to bioremediation, which is a key capacity to remove wastes from marine ecosystems. Considering the ecosystem services mussel aggregates provide, it is crucial to understand any factors that could harm this structure. My focus laid on the effects of rigid and soft macroplastic films, i.e. bottles and bags, as they represent common marine litter worldwide. I found that macroplastic indeed affects the structure of blue mussel aggregates. My project was part of a global study, organized by GEOMAR Kiel, where Master students from six countries conducted the same experiments to compare macroplastic effects on a global scale. I would like to thank the GAME program at GEOMAR Kiel for financing my research as wells as Dr. Mark Lenz for the organization of the project. Moreover, I want to thank the Marine Biological Research Center in Kerteminde for hosting me during my research.

Poultry litter amendments (LA) are commonly used to maintain good litter quality; the most common ones; are acidifiers. However, concern over the lifespan of LA acidifiers (d) and corrosive nature revealed a need for alternative LA. Products of interest include biochar (BC), superabsorbent polymers (SAPs), and alum mud (AM). Experiment 1 was a screening study (n=17 treatments, no birds) conducted to determine the optimal application rate/method of BC, SAPs, and AM vs.commercial LA and a control. Most SAPs treatments measured metrics may be similar (i.e., bacteria, water activity) or better (pH) vs. commercial LA (PLT). High inclusions of novel LA elicited the most litter quality benefit; therefore, were chosen for experiment 2 to determine their effects on 60 d litter quality and broiler performance and processing. Overall, novel LA improved litter quality parameters (i.e., moisture content, pH water activity) without negatively affecting live performance and processing parameters vs. control

The pressing needs for cost effective electric power that provides both high reliability and high quality is creating an opportunity for alternative energy distributed generation (DG). To determine the economic and technical feasibility of such alternative energy distributed generation facilities, electric power customers must understand their electric usage patterns, economic considerations, local alternative fuel supplies and available DG technologies. This thesis discusses the economic and technical feasibility of establishing a distributed generation installation. As a part of technical feasibility, an evaluation has been done to compare DG size and location impact on the operation of the I 13 node test distribution systems. This evaluation was carried out by performing the distribution power flow that provides the information about voltage profile, losses in the system and feeder power factor. This information was used to determine the optimal location of DG in the test distribution system. Additionally, this part focuses on the importance of power utilization assessment in distributed generation planning. It also discussed the load utilization assessment that focus on step-by-step analysis of load profiles of different facilities such as Choctaw Laundromat, Choctaw Geyser Falls (water park) and Golden Moon Casino. The second part of this thesis?s work resulted in an informative and useful economic analysis tool, DG-ECON with which the user can document the study results and analyze them for economic feasibility with minimal effort. The economic feasibility of a biomass-based renewable energy installation is clearly shown by developing a user interface spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel. The spreadsheet calculates project-screening information in the form of a 20-year life cycle cost analysis. This cost analysis that enables users to define projects that are most energy efficient and offer the greatest financial benefit. The emphasis is on the user interface features of the application to make the application as user friendly as possible. The application has both numerical and graphical data representation using some of the features of Microsoft Visual Basic.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.